Gunshot victim hospitalized after domestic incident

Megan Edwards Published: August 8, 2006 12:00 AM

By MEGAN EDWARDST-G Staff WriterA local man is in satisfactory condition at a Canton hospital after he allegedly was shot in the abdomen by his son-in-law Sunday night in Jeromesville.A. Thomas Piacent, 53, was transferred by helicopter to Aultman Hospital in Canton from Samaritan Regional Health System between Sunday night and Monday afternoon, according to a spokesperson at Aultman.The Ashland County Sheriffs Office received a 911 call at 8:24 p.m. Sunday that Piacent allegedly was shot by Michael W. Bigley, 35, his son-in-law, at a residence at 36 Glenn St., in a neighborhood north of the Jeromesvile square. Bigley lives at that residence.According to a recording of the 911 call, a man who identified himself as Chad Mills was with Piacent after the shooting. Mills told a dispatcher Piacent was going into convulsions at the beginning of the call.The dispatcher asked if the shooting was accidental, and Mills stated in the call it was intentional, due to an alleged heated argument. The argument, Mills said he believed, was over a family member.At the time of the call, Mills said Bigley was still in the house and allegedly had more than one gun. He also told the dispatcher the gunshot looked like it came from a .25-caliber firearm.After the shooting, deputies and squad members removed Piacent from the scene. With the help of a family member, Sheriffs Office Capt. Carl Richert was able to talk Bigley out of the house, where he was placed under arrest. No one else was injured in the incident.No charges have been filed against Bigley, said Ashland County Prosecutor Ramona Francesconi-Rogers.Im not even sure if theyll be this week, Francesconi-Rogers said. That is, if there are to be charges because the Sheriffs Office is still involved in investigating people.Francesconi-Rogers was not willing to discuss the alleged domestic situation that occurred leading to the shooting, she said.On Aug. 2, the Sheriffs Office responded to a call regarding a 17-year-old who was assaulted in Jeromesville after dropping off a friend. According to a Sheriffs Office report, Bigley, 35, Jeromesville, allegedly punched the 17-year-old in the face, spit at him, flicked a cigarette and threw a beer bottle at him and threatened to shoot him in the face. Bigley, according to the report, was arrested for assault, aggravated menacing and disorderly conduct.Bigley remained in the Ashland County Jail as of Monday afternoon. The investigation is being conducted by the Ashland County Sheriffs Office and the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.n Megan Edwards can be reached at 419-281-0581, ext. 239, or medwards@times-gazette.com.